Varkala Beach

Varkala Beach

If you’re the sorts who always long for a beach holiday, with the smooth white expanses of sand, sun and sparkling blue water, make your way straight to Varkala. Varkala, located on the high ranges of the Western Ghats, is one of the primarily important Hindu pilgrimage centres. The town is also known because of the Papasnanam Beach. At a distance of 54 km from Thiruvananthapuram, lies Varkala Beach. A quiet and solitary sandy expanse, the isolation draws several tourists all through the year. The beach has several tourist spots around which help pique the interest of the travellers. The mineral springs near Varkala Beach are considered to have medicinal properties and many people come here to drink and bathe in the water from the mineral springs. The Sree Janardhana Swamy Temple nearby, dedicated to Ayyappa, is believed to be 2000 years old and is a major crowd-puller, with thousands of pilgrims visiting each year. A nature cure centre located near Varkala Beach is another popular attraction. Famous for its landscape, a high rocky cliff ends abruptly and a stretch of clear sand extends down to the sea. The contrast between the cliffs, sand and sea makes Varkala Beach a breath-taking destination. Varkala is an ideal spot for enjoying the Arabian Sea and is visited each time by more and more tourists. The best time to go visiting is any time between October and March, since during the monsoon Varkala is virtually unusable. A trip to Varkala is sure to be a scintillating one, the kinds that go down in the photo albums as the ‘Most Memorable Holidays’.